Hi from Wisconsin

[dudeface]

Hi, I'm a 13 year old idiot with no machining tools whatsoever, but I like engines of all kinds and I am particularly interested in small scale live steam locomotives. My profile picture is of a crappy boiler I built when I was 11 with a bean can and Amazing Goop. I have also built a single cylinder, double acting Lego vacuum engine (aka LVE, they're really normal air engines that use a vacuum cleaner for a power source) that runs very well, and a 2 cylinder rotary LVE that doesn't, but it runs better than most rotary LVEs you'll see on YouTube.

Here's my thread on Garden Railway Forum about a simple locomotive I hope to build sometime in the next 2 years or so.... https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=14544

[RReid]

Hello Miles, and welcome! I was a 13 year old idiot 52 years ago, and nothing much has changed. Still trying to learn, as I'm sure you will. Glenn Curtis's first "carburetor" is said to have been made from a tomato can, so you have good company.

[dudeface]

Ha! Thanks.

[Kim]

Hi Miles,
Welcome to the forum!  Looks like you've got some great ideas for projects there. I love Lego myself and have made many lego models, but never a working engine!  I have seen a YouTube video of someone who tried to make an internal combustion engine out of Lego bricks.  As you can imagine, the Lego didn't last very long!    A vacuum engine seems much more realistic to be made from Lego.

Looking forward to seeing your project come along!
Kim

[dudeface]

I suppose its more of a single cube engine I tried to upload a gif and it kept crashing so you can see it here. https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=14529&p=176143&sid=c66eb3e3acecc7a04496f49cac9e997e#p176143 It's self starting except at tdc and bdc.

[Jo]

  Miles, to a great hobby. Love your Lego Locomotive very ingenious.

Have you considered other types of engine? On the web you can find all sorts of stationary engines you can make without any tools, like this one: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Steam-Engine  As well as making engines out of pop cans there are lots of other possibilities.

Jo

[dudeface]

"Do not let children or teenagers approach the engine when the charcoal is burning." Hmph! Doubting my common sense! (Well, I must admit I tend to touch metal objects and burn myself after grinding them, but I'm not gonna touch something with fire inside.)

I did actually make one of the floaty spinny things (rotary pop pop boat?) but Steve Mould's video contradicts the steam theory: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AXupc7oE-g" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AXupc7oE-g</a>
However The Action Lab's video contradicts the Mould theory. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9KV6c7MH7s" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9KV6c7MH7s</a>
I suspect it could actually be either, depending on the water level in the tubes.

I suppose the "adult" project could be made to rotate an output shaft using an Otto Langen type rack and freewheel mechanism.

[crueby]

Move the pop-pop boat up in size, add a fiew more parts, and make it a full pulse-jet boat!  Flaming shop elves disappearing over the horizon...

[dudeface]

Move the pop-pop boat up in size, add a fiew more parts, and make it a full pulse-jet boat!  Flaming shop elves disappearing over the horizon...

Ha! Yes, a pulse jet is something I've been wanting to build for a while, maybe put it on a bike, Bob Maddox style! Although it would be even louder than a fart canned sh*tbox.

[dudeface]

Is there some way I can change the timezone? It's 10:00 here but it says 04:00.

[crueby]

Timezone setting: click 'Profile' to the right of 'Home' near the top of the screen, then 'Modify Profile', then Look and Layout.   

[dudeface]

Thanks.

[dudeface]

I did start an LVE forum - https://lveforum.forumotion.com/ - but at the moment I'm the only member.

[Roger B]

Welcome to the Forum    Some fine work